A Future To Protect
by lilpumpkingirl
Summary: One-Shot: Three weeks after the events of the Eclipse Gate, how is Natsu dealing with seeing future Lucy, his best (human) friend and (possible) love interest, dying right before his eyes? Not so well as one would imagine. Live his horrors and struggle with him to discover that one thought that keeps him fighting.


_Been a while since I wrote anything (like three months) and thought a one-shot in the current anime I'm loving would help jump start my creative/writing mind. Personally I'd rather write a long interwoven story that makes the characters go through troubles and find something of themselves, but if any of you follow me and my work you know I have far too many already to do that. Maybe when I get a few done I will start a Fairy Tail story, but more than that I kind of want to wait for Hiro to get into this next arc to see what he's cooking up. I really hope he goes further into Lucy and Natsu's relationship, but given the type of manga it is, he might not. Since he doesn't really give character's thoughts all that often I was rather curious on how Natsu would react to future Lucy's death, and this is what came of it. Hope you all enjoy. ;D_

.~-~.

Blood.

The dark crimson stain coated his trembling hands. He tried desperately to cover the wound below her breasts to stop it. To stop the warmth of her life that oozed through his fingers, but it always found a way through, no matter what he did. It steadily guzzled out, pooling around him until he could see nothing but a sea of her warm red blood.

"No-no-no!" his voice echoed hauntingly around him, before cracking, "L-Lucy..."

He tore his eyes away from his hands to her teary brown ones that stared up at him, filled with so much pain. Pain and pity. Pity and lingering fear. It swirled there before him, ready to swallow him if he let it. His heart hammered in his chest as he watched her struggle for each breath. He knew she was trying to keep her fear hidden but it slipped through just as her blood oozed through his fingers. Her labored panting gurgled up more blood as her lungs filled, the crimson trickling down the sides. She gave him a weak smile.

The sight chilled him. This was all the same. The same smile. The same wound from a shadow dagger. The same with her trying to comfort those around her as _she_ lay dying. It was future Lucy dying all over again, only this time it was _his_ Lucy and she would be gone forever.

"It's okay... Natsu..." she barely managed, slowly bringing her blood covered hand up, touching his cheek and smearing the warmth on his skin.

He shook his head. The tears he held back up till this point broke free, streaking down his face. He opened his mouth, only his voice remained frozen in his throat. He wanted to speak, but what could he say? That it was going to be okay? It wasn't. She was dying and he couldn't do a damn thing to stop it. Nothing was ever going to be okay again. Why hadn't he taken her first death more serious? Why? Why?

He took his hands off the wound, knowing it was futile and cradled her closer to him. "No..." His tears dripped onto her cheeks, mixing with hers. "Lucy, don't... please don't d..." Unable to say the word, he instead closed his eyes and kissed her forehead. His body trembled.

She took a raged breath in, preparing to say something but when the words never came his opened his eyes, finding her gaze glossed over, staring up at him and yet not. His eyes widened in horror and the color drained from his face. Slowly, he shook his head, unwilling to believe what he was seeing. His trembling grew, jarring her limp body and her head tilted slightly, hand falling from her stomach and reaching out... for nothing.

"No... Lucy, no..." he yelled, emotions overwhelming him.

_"Natsu,"_ Happy's voice sounded in the distance.

The dragon slayer didn't hear him, drowning as he was in his anguish. He seized her unmoving body to him, sobbing into her neck. "No. No. No. No."

_"Natsu, wake up. You're dreaming again."_ He felt something, someone pushing against his chest.

"NO!" Natsu sat up right in his hammock, the movement throwing Happy onto the floor where he landed with a soft _'oof'_ before pushing himself onto his hands and knees, and scratching the back of his head.

Worried the Exceed looked up at his friend whose upper face was hidden in shadows casted from his mop of messy pink hair that dangled down. The tears that had been pooling and streaking sideways, silently fell down his flushed cheeks. His jaw was clenched, lips pressed into a thin line and quivering. Raw emotion seeped from him, like a thick black cloud that clung to his clammy skin. Happy could practically see the twisting, slithering mass.

Standing, the blue cat sighed, wondering what to do or say. Ever since they had seen future Lucy's death neither of them had gotten much of any sleep. The first two weeks, when they were still at the capital, Natsu refused to sleep at all, opting instead to sit by the balcony door in their room at the Honeybone -which surprising was one of the few places to survive the rampaging dragons- as he stared out into the night, lost in thought. That was of course, until he passed out from exhaustion and Lucy would take him up to the room and cover him with a blanket.

They weren't the only ones affected by future Lucy's death either. Wendy and Carla both had nightmares the first few nights that woke all but the heaviest of sleepers. But considering more than the five normal members of the Natsu team were bunked with them due to the state of the city and need for space, half the guild was woken by them. Not that it mattered. Almost everyone had a nightmare or two from whatever experience they had. And after Mira and Carla recounted their adventure in the castle dungeons to the guild, no one could blame them.

Then there was Lucy.

She hardly ever woke anyone, except for those sleeping next to her who were usually Erza or Happy. If her muted cries and moans didn't wake them then Natsu would rise from his domain at the balcony and lay down next to her, holding her until she quieted. Those being some of the few times he fell asleep.

Happy's gaze had long fallen to the floor in reflection, arms crossed and frowning. Was there a way to make things better for his friend? He didn't know. At the guild and with Lucy, the dragon slayer put up his normal happy-go-lucky persona. It wasn't just for them, but himself. Trying to act like everything was okay, distracting himself from what troubled him. That was why he pulled the prank at the ball and took the king's crown. But it was during the nights and quiet times that his mind would wonder back to that day.

Shaking himself, he looked back up at his friend. "Natsu?"

It took Natsu a few long seconds to answer, his voice heavy and thick from crying, "Eh... yeah, Happy?" He wiped his face with the back of his hand.

"I want to go to Lucy's."

While he couldn't see his friend's eyes, Happy got the feeling Natsu was staring at him. Then sighed, head turning to look out the window, giving the blue cat a clear view of his tired red rimmed eyes. "We've been there almost every night for the past week since coming back. I don't think she'll be happy with us if we show up again."

Happy pouted, tears welling in his eyes. "I want to go. Don't you wanna to?"

Natsu's head drooped down, hiding his face as he clenched the blanket bunched at his waist. He didn't answer. Refused to answer. It was rare, but sometimes... sometimes Happy really couldn't understand his friend. If you wanted to be near someone, wouldn't it be better to remain near them?

"Well, I'm going," he stated, willing his wings to existence. "I don't care if she gets angry, I want to be with her."

Happy sprang into the air and flew to the door, attempting to open it with his kittenish fluffy paws. He wasn't use to opening the round handle, not with Natsu always there to do it for him. After a few minutes of struggling, he drifted down to the floor, arms and legs crossed, glaring at the irritant. He pondered why they hadn't replaced it with a different one that he could open easier when he realized Natsu was behind him. Startled -because it wasn't often anyone could sneak up on him- he looked up and found his friend watching at him, arms crossed with a ghost of a smile on his lips.

Bending down, Natsu lifted the blue cat to his shoulders and opened the door. "Let's go to Lucy's, Happy."

"Aye." He smiled, snuggling into his white scarf.

As they walked, the wind blew in from the sea, bringing with it a salty tang. It mixed with the flavor of the city, caressing over roof tops, swaying tree branches and rattling shop signs. Above, the stars sparkled, twinkling as they always did. Nothing was different. Nothing had changed since every other time they had walked this familiar path to her apartment. Nothing... and everything.

Natsu couldn't shake the image of her dying. Either the dream version of her taking her last -and truly final- breath in his arms, or what actually happened with the future Lucy. It didn't matter, both were horrible to envision. With his left hand he ran his fingers over the side of the buildings as he passed, feeling the cold rough brick and smooth painted siding. The sensation took his mind from the images and thoughts, if only for a moment before the images flooded back into his mind with vengeance, making his breath catch in his lungs.

"What is it, Natsu?" Happy asked softly.

Releasing the held air in his lungs, he petted his friend behind the ear. "Nothing."

He knew the Exceed wouldn't believe him, but was glad when Happy didn't push him for more. Turning down another street, his thoughts went back to that day. Even as he walked in the crisp breeze he could remember how her blood had smothered him, the sweet metallic stench filling the underground passage and drowning his dragon nose. Would that smell ever leave him? No, probably just like the images, it would never leave him -forever haunting him.

Crossing his arms, he stared at the pavement as he walked. He needed to get stronger. Of that there wasn't any doubt. Future Rogue's strength had been amazing, and frightening. Natsu had been little more than a punching bag, a distraction to allow his Lucy to flee. If not for Ul and that pink haired girl he would have been swallowed up by the shadows. He gritted his teeth at the memory of him stumbling over to her body after the two saved him before breaking down and sobbing, sounds that tore from his throat and racked his body.

Yes, never before had he cried like that, but then, he had never such unbearable agony before. Igneels disappearance... while he missed his father, Igneel was still alive, out there somewhere. Only a few years later Lisanna's death had hit him harder, making him want to shy away from any topic that could possibly relate back to her. But they hadn't spent that much time together other than when hatching Happy... It had been rather simple to forget about her.

Lucy. Lucy was different. He couldn't simply forget her or hide from her memory. She was his first partner outside of Happy. Together they made the heart of Team Natsu. And there was all those times hanging out in the guild, or those pranks and every other time spent at her apartment, or those fishing trips. Other than those two weeks before the S-Class exams he spent nearly every moment with her. There was no way he could forget or hide or ignore those almost two years they had been together. Sometimes it amazed him that she had only been in his life that long... Well, technically nine years, but seven didn't count.

Natsu came to a stop outside her apartment, looking up at the window. The curtains were drawn closed, but he could make out the flicker of light from within. His head tilted to the side, curious as to why she was up so late. Shrugging, he had Happy grab onto his back and fly him up to the window, then slid the window open. As he planted his feet on the ledge her scent washed over him. Sweet. That was the only word he knew how to describe her scent. It was like nothing he had smelled before. Part citric, part flower and spice. His muscles relaxed instantly with it.

He reached out, grabbing the pink curtain back and peering in. His gaze first went to the bed. As he expected it was empty of the blonde celestial mage. The blankets were partly pulled down and wrinkled, as if she had tried to go to bed but hadn't been able to. Happy jumped down onto the bed from his shoulder as Natsu quickly searched the rest of the room. He smiled, stepping from the window ledge to her bed and then to the floor. Leaning over the bed, he closed the window before turning back to her hunched form sleeping over her desk.

"She fell asleep wri-" Happy started talking loudly only for Natsu swiftly fall back onto the bed and cover his mouth.

"Shhhh."

Happy pushed the dragon slayer's hand down with his paws, his voice softer, "Aye, got it."

Natsu stood, walking to her, and peering over her shoulders. Her face was pressed into the page, pen limp in her hand as she muttered. His smile slipped away, seeing not the calm peaceful expression she would normally have but a tense tearful one that had her lower lip shaking and those tears soaking the page. She whimpered softly. If not for his keen dragon hearing he could have mistaken it for a mere breathe of air.

The Exceed's feet landed softly on the desk, wings disappearing as his whiskers twitched. "Looks like she's having another nightmare, Natsu."

He nodded, frowning as he took the pen from her and set it aside. Gently he picked her up from the chair, carrying over to the bed with her head resting against his shoulder, breath tickling his neck. Happy flew back over, pulling the blankets down further so Natsu could set her down. She came to rest on her back, her head rolling away from him, and hand flopping out to the side. Without warning the image of her resting peacefully was overrun by his memories of her death. The black, soaked cloak. Her head limp to the side, mouth and jaw covered with blood. Her hand outstretched but not reaching for anything.

He stiffened. His eyes widened and his face paled. Small tremors began in his muscles, growing with each passing second he stared at her, and his vision blurred with welling tears.

"Natsu?!"

With Happy's startled voice and a shake of his head, the image was gone. He slowly stood back up, watching as her chest rose and fell, and listened to the sound of her whimpering breaths. The fingers in her limp hand twitched. Her lips were parted and ends of a strand of blonde stuck to her damp cheek fluttered. She wasn't bleeding. She wasn't dying. She was... alive. His stomach flittered, finding the sight beautiful. She was alive and beautiful. Right, at this very moment, laying before him so utterly defenseless... she was living.

He blinked. This realization rattled him. Yes, she had died. But that had been her future self, and he had fought with everything he had to change that future. He stood now, beside her bed, not in future Rogue's time or future Lucy's, but their own where whatever lay ahead was anyone's guess. And while there was nothing he could do for that other Lucy, at least _his_ Lucy _was alive_. His other self may have failed her in his time, but he wouldn't.

He would get strong and fight for the future.

Smiling, he met Happy's worried gaze as the Exceed sat on the bed. "Everything will be okay, Happy."

His friend's eyes widened for a few seconds, startled by his sudden change in mood, before smiling. "Aye!"

Natsu went back to the desk and turned off the light as Happy crawled to the other side of Lucy and waited. Coming back, the dragon slayer kicked his sandals off and climbed into bed next to his friend. Careful to not wake her, he drew the blankets up over them, and slid his arm beneath her head so her head rested on his bicep. Mumbling in her sleep, she turned to him and snuggling into his chest. His smile grew as he wrapped his other arm around her and held her close.

Happy chuckled as he climbed onto both of them and curled up between the crevice their bodies made. "You liiiiiiiike her."

Natsu's cheeks flushed slightly in the darkness, but said nothing to counter his friend's teasing. Instead silently promising to get stronger so he could protect his family, to protect both Happy and Lucy, and most importantly, to protect her future.


End file.
